Saturday, October 13, 2007

Before I made the decision to do my bachelor degree in Perth, I actually went over for a short visit just to check out the university which I have the intention to apply. It was a short one week trip but it was well spent! The campus was exactly the way I wanted... out of the city area but yet still close by, lush greenery surrounding the university's buildings, excellent public transport and of course, clear blue skies...

If it were not for my aunt who is a resident there, I would have checked into some discount hotels within the city. Besides the big hotel chains, you can easily get any Perth accommodation from the Travel Bureau just next to the main Post Office. It is pretty easy to get around as there is a good train service as well as bus service which followed fixed schedules! Unlike those we have in this country, you can't depends on the public transport at all! For someone who does not have a driving licence, Perth is a great place to be... their public transports are so well connected. For seasoned drivers, all the roads are so wide, you won't have to worry that someone will bang on you!

Besides the normal fared bus services, there are the Cats service which served as city link buses for tourists or even locals around the city area and the best thing is, the service is completely FREE! You can ride on the Red, Yellow or Blue Cats service to almost everywhere around the city!

I spent about 2 years living in Perth when I was accepted by the uni I applied. It was one of the most exciting period of my life and I thoroughly enjoyed my entire stay. I simply love the mixture of city life and country life that Western Australia offered though many of the people I knew find Perth is too laid back but personally this is the place I felt most comfortable after spending more than 8 years working in the city that almost never sleep!

Getting friendly with the kangaroos @ Caversham Wildlife Park

There are so much to see in Perth. Be it within the city or the out skirt. Places like Subiaco is a nice place to relax during the weekend and if you fancy to have a cup of cappuccino and some fish and chips, a trip down to Fremantle is a must. There are so much to see and do and I can bet that just a week is never enough. And for those who loves the wild life, Perth offered one of the best place to see your favorite Koala bears, kangaroos and even wombats! (too bad I have limited digitised photos to share here).

Having fun with the dilderido... a type of musical instrument used by the Aborigines

If you happened to go during end of summer, some of the best wines in the world will greet you just outside the city. Then you can pick some grapes and taste some wine and chill out under the February sun. And if you are those who are adventurous, a trip across the sea to Rottness Island is sure a good pick. Besides cycling around the island (you can't drive there), you can even do some sea sports such as scuba dive, snorkeling as well as catamaran.